Apothecary Love for Valentine's Day

Those of you who know me, know that I am a big fan of using apothecary jars as an easy way to add some seasonal flair. This is the anti-craft those who are afraid of glue guns and terrified of power tools. The jars were made popular by retailers like Pottery Barn, but I knew buying them from PB would break the bank and, plus, I'd rather break the bank for a pair of boots or a piece of fabulous furniture.

So, I turned to my local Home Goods to buy my jars. The larger jars run between $14-$16 dollars and the smaller jars are $12 and under. Some of my friends have been successful in finding the jars on sale or clearance at Michaels as well. If all else fails, use those Michael's 40% off one item coupons 3 different times and you'll have a set of three!

My fillers for Valentine's Day included:

Sweetheart Candies: I picked up a 3 bags for $1 each at Dollar Tree. I pack them up in a ziplock bag and use them each year since I don't care for the candy (too chalk-like for me). Make sure no one is eating them if they are just used for decoration year to year! 

Crazy Red, Pink, and White Tubes: My friend picked these up at Michael's a couple of years ago for about $4 a pack and we split them up to share for our jars. Other similar ideas include, Valentine garland

Red and Pink Heart Gems: For the size of my jar, I got 4 bags of these for $1 each at Dollar Tree. I got mine a year or two ago, but I saw that they had them again. While you are there, check out their Valentine cards (2 for 50 cents!), cheap gift bags, and plenty of Valentine party supplies!

I plan to feature apothecary decor as I change it throughout the year, so you can get ideas for each holiday. With many of the filler options being cheap and easy, you can store them to use from year to year, or if you get bored, you can easily spend a few dollars and freshen up your decor without going over budget. They also made great "weights" to hold up the card garland this year!